Arm stiffening device



y 5, 1 w. A. KOSKI Em 2,943,859

ARM STIFFENING DEVICE Filed May 11, 1959 W/LLMM A [03%] PAUL MAGU/PEINVENTORS ATTOIQ/VEVS'.

United States Patent ARI STIFFENING DEVICE William Anthony Koski, 2423.W. Palmyra, Orange,

v signments, to said Koski Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,478

4 Claims. (Cl. 273-489) The present invention relates to devices forholding the leading arm of a golfer substantially rigid while the golferis swinging a golf club, and more particularly to such a device which iseasy to put on and take off, comfortable to wear, which may be left inposition on the arm for an extended period of time without affecting thegolfers game adversely and which is readily adjustable.

Most prior art devices designed to stiffen the elbow of the leading armof a golfer as he is swinging a golf club have employed a wrapper offlexible material which is wrapped around the elbow and secured inposition by buckles or a slide fastener arrangement. The use of suchartificial securing means is uncomfortable and usually at leastpartially reduces blood circulation on the arm so that such devicescould only be worn for short periods of time. In addition, many of theconventional devices employ a stiffening member of solid material suchas, for example, an elongated piece of spring steel to limit benda ingof the arm.

- Attempts have also been made to employ elastic sheaths to cover theelbow of the leading arm. For such a device to provide suflicientstiffening action it was necesto a very small group.

The discomforts associated with wearing such conventional deviceslimited the use thereof to practice sessions. In view of these and otherdisadvantages found in the conventional devices, -it is an object of ourpresent invention to provide an arm stilfening device for golfers whichmay be readily fitted over the elbow of the leading arm and which may bereadily adjusted to provide any desired degree of stiffness tothe'a'r'm.

It is a further object of our invention to provide such a device whichis simple of construction, readily adjustable to fit a wide variety ofarm sizes and which is comfortable to the wearer over an extended periodof time.

A moreparticular object of our invention is to provide such a devicewhich may be frictionally secured to the arm of the wearer without thenecessity of using buckles, straps, or slide fasteners.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will, it isbelieved, be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is anelevation view of a golfer in the act of swinging a golf clubwith ourpresent invention operatively disposed about his left or leading arm tohold this arm substantially straight during the swing.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of our device.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings, an arm stifiening dc vice in accordanceWith' the present invention is indicated generally at 10. The deviceincludes an elongated tubuice lar inflatable sheath 12, a liner element14 and a valve element 16. V

The sheath 12 includes an inner layer 18 and an outer layer 20preferably formed from an air impervious flexible, substantiallyinelastic material such as, for example, polyethylene or polystyreneplastic. The layers 1S and 20 are, as will be more fully explainedbelow, sealed to provide a substantially air tight sheath. In addition,portions of the respective layers are sealed to one-another to form ribs22 paralleling'the central axis of the sheath.

In forming the sheath, the layers 18 and 20 are cut to the desired sizeand laid flat upon one another. The ends 24 and 26 and edges 28 and 30are then heat-sealed together in a manner well known in the art. Theouter sheath 20 is provided with an opening 32 which receives the valve16. The flat layers as sealed at their respective ends and sides may beinflated to form a pillow-like structure.

If these layers were then formed into a sheath, an arm supporting devicecould be formed; We have found, however, that substantially improvedresults are obtained by providing a plurality of longitudinallyextending stiffening ribs 22. Accordingly, the flat layers are sealedtogether by webs 34 extending longitudinally with respect to the centralaxis of the resulting sheath and perpendicularly to the ends 24 and 26thereof. The Webs are formed by the conventional heat-sealing processand as best shown in Fig. 2, do not extend the entire length of'theresulting sheath but rather terminate short of either end 24 and 26 toprovide an air passage space between the ends of the respective ribs 22.

In order to increase the comfort to the wearer, we have provided thesheath with a plurality of airpassages or holes 36 adjacent the ends ofeach web 34.

To form the arm stifiening device the edges 28 and'Sll ;of the sheathare then overlapped, as best shown in Fig. 3,

to provide a device of the desired diameter. The edge 28 is then sealedas at 38 to the overlapped portion of the edge 30. I To the innersurface of the layer 18 thereis then secured the liner element 14. Thisliner element may be formed from any suitable cushioning material suchas, for example, sponge rubber. The thickness of the liner element 14will be determined by the size of the sheath desired and the amount ofcushioning necessary. The

liner element is provided with a plurality of openings, not

shown, to correspond with the air passages 36 to allow free passage ofair into the inner surface. Of course, if

vthe cushioning material is sufficiently thin or porous, these inneropenings would not be necessary.

The webs 34 are inflated by means of a conventional closable valve 16.The valve 16 may be replaced by an air inlet tube and stopperarrangement, or by any self-operating valve member. We prefer to use,however, the push-pull type valve so that air may be admitted v tothearea between the layers by pulling the valve element out and forcinginto the ribs and the valve is then closed by depressing the movableelement. Such valves are conventional and are well known in the art. Thevalve may be preferably positioned near one end 24 of the sheath and thelayers 18 and 20 sealed together through an arc of approximately 270 to300 around the base of the valve as shown at 40.

The materials from which the sheath or liner may be made may be variedover a wide range. We prefer, however, both for ease of manufacture andfor general comfort of the wearer to form the sheath from plastic layerswhich may be readily heat-sealed together. The device that we havedescribed is a straight sheath, having the same diameter at each end. Ifdesired, the sheath may be tapered to more exactly conform to thegeneral contour of the arm. Thus the diameter at one end will be greaterthan thediameter square or rectangular would be generally trapezoidal so4 r s na :tape n r d te fin d g i Finally,; as previously stated, theprecise type of valve. r rpa e e -mea y to a a a i s .be determinedby-xrianufactnring requirements. Itis'only necessary;tliat theuserbe-able to intr oduce air into the websjand {0:8681 "off the innerarea? between the layers QHi1 oi t d tme ph e' "Iheedeyice' thus;described is imminently suitable as an stiffening idevice, the;infla tdwebs acting as'stiffenerstq r-constantlyrernind the zgdlfer to keep hisleft arm In 'the us e of a device thus-described, afright handed :golter-pulls the deflated 'device'over his left arm and straight.

-positions itintermediate the wrist and shoulder so that the'midpoint ofthedevice is'slightly above the elbow.

"The valve :is positioned so as to lie on topot the mans the-greater'thepressure, the more firmly the arm will be held.

:Because o f the ready iuflatability of tliedevice, the

golfer 'ruay deflate it when he desires flexibility in his 7 a le are ar man e. whe Put ,Them by merely a raising his'left arm across hismonth, he can reinfiate the device to the desired degree to prevent thearm from ee in b in -V r f ile .the device described splints to preventjlexing iof broken aud otherwise in- ;jured limbs. For egram'plefbiincreasing the length of the device and :the' amount: of tape, thenpperm lower 7 l lim o e ire. arm-s ihelt nia refi i 'd by adeviceihaving the same general structural elements.

Accordingly,'it,is.to be ders too'dthatWedo uotyvish 1' beliniited :tothe firacise ddhrsaesauemre above set forth fbut maintainersbrinr1111sense of the. ap-

pended'clain si V Weclaim:

1. .An 'arm stiffening device a da ited tol bie Worri by a f -golfer-=onhis-leadiirg arm comprising: an elongated tubular sheath having an innerlayer and-an outerla-yer; said 7 inner and outer'layers being formedfireman air -imper vious, flexiblejsubstantiallyinelastic material;:acplurality oflongitudinally extending reinforcing ribs formed by*sealingslcted a'ortions of said inner and outer'laye'rs at the other.In forming a tapered sheath, the individual layers instead of being.

V M is 'pr'incipally ern aloyed"as a reminder or aid toi -golf e rs,Wefbelieve, thatathe same principle can -be utilized in the forming'oftemporary to one another; and infiatingmeans carried by said sheath. forselectively inflating said ribs; 7

2. An arm stiffening device adapted to be worn by a golfer on hisleading arm comprising: an elongated tubu- 5 lar sheath having an innerlayer and any outer layer, said inner and outer layers being formed froman air impervious, flexible, snbstantially inelastic materiahmeans'sealone another to forman inflatable air space therebetween; meanssealing selected-pet tions "6f saidinnr a layers toone another to 'dividsaid aiijsfiace 1n rality of longitudinally extending reinforcing valvemeans carried by said sheath for selectively inflating said ribs. P 3.An arm stiifening device adapted to be wo'rnby a golfer on his leadingarm comprising an elongated tubular sheath having an inner layer and anouter layer, said inner and outerlayers being formed from anairimper- Ivious, flexible, substantially inelastic material'jirie'afisflsealingthe ends and edges of said inner and outrlaye'rsto' one another to'forrnan inflatable airspace th'ere'bet means sealing selected puritans 'fof'said inner i'anil outer layers to one another to divide said airsriaceih'toei prurality oflongitudinally extending reinforeing ifibs;ya'lv'e means carried by said sheath'for selectively inflating saidribs; and a cushioning liner element secured to said inner. layer. a t Wh h V 4. An' arm stitfening device adapted to eavers-011a golfersleading arm 'Icoinpris'ing': a tapered, lon d, tubular, inflatablesheath having an inn'er layerfa nd an outer layer, said inner. and outerlayers being "formed froman air impervious, fleXibl'e,slibstantiallyunematerial, said inne'r'and outer-layers bein seai- Qan'othr 'at. theirrespective jlfdsfand' edges 'it'o form 7 air space therebetweenjafplurality o 'f uniforinlyj Q iced; laterally displaced 'Webjs formedby sealingslected tions of said inner andouter. layersto 'one anoth websdividing. said air Spaceintoga plurality dinally extending inflatable Vreinforcing ribs 40 of air passages carriedbylsaid"slieathadjacent 4 jsaid outer layerjbeing'pifovided Withfan opfe; 'ng -ad ent oneend of.said"sheath';iajvalye "elementjcar'ried J man -arenas "int-he file otpatent V UNITED PATENTS ing the ends and edges" :of sardine-er and outerlayers to V

